We Found Love In A Hopeless Place

Chapter 20 : Never!

Qismat ko hai ye manzoor kya keeje!
Milte rahe ham baa-dastoor kya keeje!
Dil kah raha, usey musalsal kar hi aao
Wo jo ruki si raah baaki hai.
Wo jo ruki si chaah baaki hai!

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"Sidharth" his name left her lips, in the faintest possible way, almost as a whisper, as her body swayed, her eyes rolled back and sall he saw was that she lost her balance and was falling. His hands, almost reflexively held her, preventing her from falling. The action was so quick, almost as if it was a very familiar instinct. Sidharth patted her cheeks, called out her name, and when she didn't respond, he knew she had lost consciousness.

"I... I need to rush her to a hospital." he said, panicked.

Awasthi put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a nod, assuring that the institution will ensure the guilty is punished. Taking a last look at Sahil's body laying on floor unconscious, blood oozing from his head, making a pool of redness around him, he scooped Shehnaaz up in his arms as he walked towards where his car was parked and drove to the nearest hospital he could find.

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It had been 3 hours she was put on drip. The needles pierced through her dainty hands, the liquid going inside her system, drop - by- drop, her eyes closed, she looked so weak and broken laying on the bed unconscious.

Sidharth observed her still body, sitting across the table near the bed. All he could feel was guilt and self-loathe, his eyes pooled up at the mere sight of her in that condition. He was the one responsible for this. Had he been cautious, this wouldn't have ever happened to her. Only if he had kept her at distance, only if he had not let her in, she would have been at her home, most probably, happy, healthy, safe and sound. The ever - increasing guilt pricked his heart every passing minute. The beep of the machine, the sound of the fan moving, and the clock ticking filled the eerily silent room, as he looked up at the ceiling, his hands locked up to his chest and fingers drummed at the back of his wrist. He anticipated what he would say to her. What was he even supposed to say? Apologize? For bringing her in this mess? For the way she was suffering, while he was there healthy and safe? For being the reason she is going through so much of pain, without any fault of her own?

The doctor who had tended to her came inside the room, and checked her vitals. Sidharth stood there silently observing, when he heard the doctor call his name.

"Mr. Shukla! Dr Trivedi here. Its an honor meeting you, I'm sorry for the situation though." he said.

"Hello doctor. You know me?"

"Of course. Who doesn't?"

He smiled and said, " It'd have been so much better if nobody did."

A few moments of silence followed after.
Dr Trivedi was an amazing doctor, from what Sidharth had heard when he rushed in to the hospital. He borderline screamed at almost everyone as he was told to go through the long procedures of filling forms and details before Shehnaaz could be admitted. He had asked the receptionist to do whatever was necessary but get her the best treatment as soon as possible. Her absence had unleashed an unknown fear in him, and that fear skyrocketed as her unconscious body lay there on the stretcher. That was when he was told about Dr Trivedi. He looked at the doctor properly for the first time. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties, his grey hair shined in the almost dim room, the stethoscope he had been wearing around his neck all the time was taken away by him and shoved inside the pocket of his white coat.